A dust storm forces the crew of the Ares 3 mission to abort and leave Mars in a hurry. Astronaut Mark Watney is struck by debris during the evacuation, and his crewmates, believing him dead, depart without him. He wakes up wounded, alone, with no way to contact Earth and supplies meant to last a few weeks, while the next mission will not arrive for years.
Watney, a botanist and mechanical engineer, records his progress in sardonic log entries. He grows potatoes in Martian soil, manufactures water from rocket fuel, rigs rovers for long drives and improvises communication. Meanwhile NASA eventually realises he is alive, and engineers, managers and his former crew wrestle with how, and whether, to bring him home.
Weir first released the novel in instalments on his website and then as a cheap e-book in 2011 before a publisher picked it up. Its appeal lies in plausible problem-solving and a hero who meets disaster with jokes. Readers enjoy the realistic science explained with clarity. Ridley Scott's 2015 film starring Matt Damon brought it to a huge audience.
Book details
| Author | Andy Weir |
|---|---|
| First published | 2011 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 369 |
| Setting | Acidalia Planitia and other regions of Mars, plus NASA on Earth, near future |
Themes
- Survival
- Ingenuity
- Humour under pressure
- Teamwork
- Space exploration
Who should read it
Readers who love hard science, problem-solving and a funny, resilient narrator.